The Veggie Cook

An edible rainbow

Cookbook arranges food by color and nutrients

October 24, 2012|By Kay Stepkin, Special to Tribune Newspapers

They say you eat with your eyes as much as your palate. Fun, easy-to-read and visually exciting "Color Me Vegan" (Fair Winds, $19.99), by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, plays on that concept by grouping plant-based foods according to their colors and the associated nutritional values.

Eating foods in a variety of colors will guarantee different nutrients, the author says. For example, orange beta-carotene, found in carrots and yams, is linked to decreased risk of several cancers.

Blue anthocyanins, found in such as foods as blueberries, eggplant and purple kale, are tied to healthy blood pressure. Red lycopene, in beets, cherries and tomatoes, and yellow lutein, in corn and pineapple, may lower risk of macular degeneration.

A combination of cooking tips, food lore and historical and health information feature in the book, along with delicious and unusual recipes. "Eat food, not pills," advises Patrick-Goudreau, promoting good nutrition over bottled vitamins and food supplements.

If there's a flaw in the book, it's that some important details are missing or occasionally incorrect in some of the recipes.

In the delicious carrot fries — soft on the inside, crispy at the ends — the author says to cut the carrots 4 inches long but neglects to say how thick. The banana oat date cookies are a perfect sweet when you're looking for something wheat-free and not too rich. The recipe says it makes two dozen cookies, yet when made in the suggested size of 2 teaspoons each, the yield is actually four dozen. I was delighted with Patrick-Goudreau's Brussels sprouts slicing technique, but I feel it's necessary to cut out the triangular core before slicing the sprouts, a step she omits.

I love Brussels sprouts, but I've never enjoyed them steamed whole. Instead, I've laboriously peeled individual leaves off the sprouts and quickly stir-fried them. Patrick-Goudreau's idea to thinly slice the sprouts is so much easier.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sprouts and salt. Cook, stirring, 7 minutes. Add the apples, garlic and maple syrup; cook, until the apples are just heated through, 5 minutes. Turn off heat; stir in the pecans, lemon juice and pepper to taste.